Furniture.



A. D. EDWARDS.

FURNITURE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 4, I915.

Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

ALFRED D. EDWARDS, OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS.

FURNITURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @ct. 3f, idle.

Application filed. October 4, 1915. Serial No. 54,082.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED D. EDwARDs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elgin, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Furniture, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to furniture, such as school. desks and seats, and is concerned more particularly with the form and arrangement of certain details of construction enabling adjustments of the desk or seat portions, or both.

In the present invention, I have sought to provide a construction for articles of furniture, such as school desks and seats, which is inexpensive to manufacture and ornamental in appearance, having its adjusting parts conveniently arranged to enable the desk and seat portions to be moved vertically to a desired height; and a construction which reduces to a minimum the number of parts requisite to the making of adjustments, and requisite to even and uniform adjusting movements. These and other objects of my invention will more clearly hereinafter appear from the description of my invention as set forth in the specification and claims, and as appears in the drawing, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of the outer side of a standard designed for a combined desk and" seat, which is constructed in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is an elevation similar to Fig. 1, but looking toward the inner side of the standard, exhibiting the means employed to effect vertical adjustments of the desk and seat portions; Fig. 3 is an elevation of the shaft, with crank and pinions attached, employed to effect adjustments; and Fig. l is a horizontal section on line 4-4: of Fig. 2, through a pair of standards operatively positioned and showing the adjusting shaft operatively applied.

As an illustrative embodiment of my invention, I have shown in the drawing a combined desk and seat having a pair of side standards 5 terminating in suitable legs (not shown). In use these standards are arranged side by side with a suitable distance therebetween. In the making of such standards, formed usually of cast iron, it is customary that one side, the outer side, be designed to present a neat and ornamental appearance; whereas the reverse side, which faces inwardly, is shaped to receive and house a number of parts which serve to support the standards and lock the desk and seat portions in their adjusted positions. The standards which are illustrated in the drawing, are constructed in this manner. Each standard 5 is arranged to carry a desk supporting arm 8 and a seat supporting arm 9. Arranged upon the inner sides of these arms 8 and 9 are lugs (3 to which may be secured boards 7 extending transversely between the standards. "Ihe school desk and seat herein described requires no tie rods or transverse reinforcing members other than the boards 7 (some of which constitute the desk and seat top), and which are secured by screws, bolts, or other suitable means to the inturned lugs 6. As appears from Fig. a, the inner side of each standard 5 is configured to provide a guide wall 10 and a rib 11 with which the arms 8 may engage. Each of the arms 9 also engages with a guide wall 10 formed on the inner side of each standard. By these means the adjusting movements of the arms 8 and 9 are held to a straight line. Slots 12 are formed in the arms 8 and 9, within each of which lies a pair of lugs 13 projected from the standard 5, and spaced slightly apart. Openings are formed through the standards between the lugs 18, for the reception of a bolt 1d, the head preferably lying on the outer side, and the nut on the inner side between the lugs 13 and against one of the arms 8 and 9. When the bolt heads are rotated properly from the outside, the nuts which are held against rotation between the lugs 13,

are caused to draw the arms 8 and 9 into tight engagement against the standard, thereby locking the arms upon the standard in any position desired within their adjusting limits. Manifestly when the bolt is again loosened, the parts may be readjusted, and locked in the desired position in the manner described.

It is apparent when a pair of standards are employed to support between them desk or seat portions, that the adjustments which are effected upon one of the standards should coincide exactly with similar adjustments on the other standard, as otherwise the desk and seat tops would not remain level. Also for purposes of expediency, adjustments upon each of the standards should be made simultaneously. To attain theseends, means have been provided which I shall now describe in detail.

Each supporting arm 8 and 9 is provided upon one of its edges with a series of teeth 15., constituting, in effect, a rack. An opening 16 is formed in the standard immediately adjacent the racks 15, so situated, however, that from the outer side of the standard the racks are scarcely visible. The opening 16, moreover, is so shaped asto provide two generally circular recesses 17, each of which constitutes a bearing for the hub portion 18 of pinions 19 and 20. The shape and size of'these recesses is such as to retain the hub portion 18 against displacement in any but an endwise direction. The clearance between these recesses 17 and the opening 16'is sufiicient to allow a shaft 21 to be passed into the recess into central portion, and axially with respect to the hub portion 18. The pinion 20 is locked to the shaft against rotary and longitudinal movements, the pinion 19 being held similarly against relative rotary movement but being free to slide longitudinally upon the shaft. A crank 22 is provided as shown to facilitate manual rotation of the shaft. When adj ust- -ments are desired in the level of the seat or desk portions, the proper bolts 14 are first loosened. The shaft 21 is then ready to be used. For this purpose, the end opposite the handle is insertedthrough the opening 16, in one of the standards, and is moved into proximity with the other standard. As appears from the dotted lines in Fig. 2, this opening 16 is sufliciently large to allow passage therethrough of the pinions 19 and 20. The hub portion 18 of the pinion 20 is inserted by a longitudinal movement into the recess 17 of the standard to which it is nearest, where it is supported the same as in a bearing. The other pinion 19 is moved along the shaft, through the opening 16, and then moved back until its hub portion finds rest in the recess 17 of the standard adjacent the handle 22. Each of the pinions then becomes journaled within a recess 17 where it can be revolved without displacement from axial position. WVhen so journaled, moreover, the pinions are caused to engage with the teeth of the adjacent rack 15. Under such conditions, rotation of the shaft '21 results in an equal and uniform movement of the supporting arms 8 or 9, and a consequent steady adjustment of the desk or seat portions carried thereby. The operation is completed by tightening the bolts 14 which were previously loosened, and withdrawing the shaft and its pinions from engagement with the racks 15.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawing, I have shown desk and seat portions, both of which are adjustable in the manner described. It is necessary merely the said shaft, a desk that the pinions 19 and 20 be meshed with the appropriate rack 15 in order to shift the height of either. For this purpose, the opening 16' communicates directly with each of two recesses. Manifestly, however, where only the desk portion, or only the seat portion, is made adjustable, there is need for but one such recess communicating with each opening 16.

From the foregoing description, it is obvious that adjustments may be made from either side of the desk; that is, the shaft may 3e inserted through either standard in the direction of the other. Also the sliding ongagement of the pinion 19 upon the shaft enables the same shaft to be used for adjusting desks in which the standards are spaced apart at widely varying distances. One such shaft, moreover, sufiices for the ad justment of a large number of desks. Except at such times when adjustments are desired, which would ordinarily be very infrequent indeed, the shaft and pinions may be entirely dispensed with.

I claim:

1. The combination with a shaft having two pinions, one fixed thereon, and the other movable thereon only in a direction longitudinally of the shaft, and both pinions being provided with a hub portion, of a pair of furniture standards each formed with an opening enabling the said pinions to be passed therethrough, and with two recessed portions communicating with the said opening, the said recessed portions being each adapted to serve as a bearing for the hub portion of one of the pinions to retain the same therein against axial displacement, and the communicating portion between each of the recessed portions and the said opening serving as a clearance passage for supporting arm and a seat supporting arm carried upon each of the said standards, each of said arms being provided with a rack which is disposed adjacent the said opening and in engaging relation with the said pinions when the pinions are seated within the recessed portions proximate thereto, whereby the desk supporting arms or the seat supporting arms on both standards may be raised or lowered simultaneously and in unison when thesaid shaft is rotated,'and means for locking the desk supporting arms and the seat supporting arms in any selected adjusted position, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a shaft having two pinions, one fixed thereon, andthe other movable thereon only in a direction longitudinally of the shaft, and both pinions being provided with a hub portion, of a pair of furniture standards each formed with an opening enabling the said pinions to be passed therethrough, and with a recessed portion communicating with the said opening, the said recessed portion being adapted to serve as a bearing for the hub portion of one of the pinions to retain the same therein against axial displacement, and the communicating portion between the recessed portion and the said opening serving as a clearance passage for the said shaft, a supporting arm carried upon each of the said standards provided with a rack which is disposed adjacent the said opening and in engaging relation with one of the said pinions when the pinion is seated within the recessed portion, whereby the supporting arms on both standards may be raised or lowered simultaneously and in unison when the said shaft is rotated, and means for locking the supporting arms in any selected adjusted position, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a shaft, and a pinion secured to the shaft, said pinion being provided with a hub portion, of a furniture standard formed with an opening enabling the said pinion to be passed therethrough, and with two recessed portions communicating with the said opening, the said recessed portions being each adapted to serve as a bearing for the hub portion of the pinion to retain the same therein against axial displacement, and the communicating portion between each of the recessed portions and the said opening serving as a clearance passage for the said shaft, a desk supporting arm and a seat supporting arm carried upon the said standard, each of said arms being provided with a rack which is disposed adjacent the said opening and in engaging relation with the said pinion when the pinion is seated within the recessed portion proximate thereto, whereby the desk supporting arm or the seat supporting arm on the standard may be raised or lowered when the said shaft is rotated, and means for locking the desk supporting arm and the seat supporting arm in any selected adjusted position, substantially as described.

a. The combination with a shaft, and a pinion secured to the shaft, the said pinion being provided with a hub portion, of a furniture standard formed with a double bearing therein for the shaft and pinion, consisting of an opening in' the standard through which the pinion may pass, and two generally circular recesses within 'each of which the pinion hub may be journaled and be held against axial displacement, the said recesses each communicating with the opening through a passage of less width than the diameter of the pinion hub, a seat supporting arm and a desk supporting arm carried upon the standard and each adjustable thereupon, means for confining to a straight line the adjusting movements upon the standard of the seat supporting arm and the desk supporting arm, a rack upon each of the supporting arms disposed adjacent to one of the said recesses and in engaging relation with the said pinion when the pinion is journaled within the recess proximate thereto, whereby the engaged supporting arm is caused to move upon the standard when the shaft is rotated, and means for locking each of the supporting arms in any selected adjusted position, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a shaft, and a pinion secured upon the shaft, the said pinion being provided with a hub portion, of a furniture standard formed with a bear ing therein for the shaft and pinion, consisting of an opening in the standard through which the pinion .may pass, and a recess within which the pinion hub may be journaled and be held against axial displacement, the said recess communicating with the opening through a passage of less width than the diameter of the pinion hub, a supporting arm adjustably mounted on the standard, having a rack disposed adjacent the said recess in engaging relation with the said pinion when the pinion is journaled within the recess, whereby the supporting arm is caused to move upon the standard when the shaft is rotated, and means for locking the supporting arm in any selected adjusted position, substantially as described.

ALFRED D. EDWARDS.

Witnesses:

FRANCES M. Fnos'r, EPHRAIM BANNING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patenta. Washington, D. G. 

